New Moon: Running With Vampires
by Alice Grey
Summary: Veronica is at an impass with Edward. To be a Cullen, she'll have to learn to run with vampires, but with James on her trail, high school, the Volturi, and her fate rested in La Push, where will her path lead her?
1. Chapter 1

New Moon: Running with Vampires

Party

**Alice's POV**

The day you give someone a Mini, everything has to be perfect. After the small problems she'd faced with Edward on Isle Esme, her mood had been, well, rancid. She would be happy though, she'd be even more than happy, she'd be ecstatic when the night would be over. It was her birthday, and I sent her off shopping with Rosalie to prepare the house with Esme. I could already see the surprise on her face at everything, it was perfect, she would even cry. I squealed and jumped as Esme placed the glass vase of roses on the counter.

"Calm down Alice." She smiled her motherly smiled, she would be happy too. Happier to see Veronica so content.

I rolled my eyes and had the stairs, halls, and tables covered in small floating white candles. Another second and they were all lit.

Emmett walked in with a large box. "Perfect!"

"Alice, you really ruin all the surprise sometimes." He retorted playfully, giving me an accomplice smile.

I winked and took the box from him. He'd filled it with several heavy rocks and a false bottom. The car keys fell in the bottom with a metal clink. The car was midnight blue with two white stripes, exactly the model and paint job she'd wanted. Of course, Rosalie had tweaked it. She couldn't let any car that entered the garage untouched, and, as she put it, average.

**Rosalie's POV**

After over a century of unlimited shopping, you'd think you'd get bored of it, but I still loved fashion. Nowhere near as much as Alice – it wasn't fair that she got to see it all in advance – but I held my share.

"How about this dress?" I asked showing her this adorable purple cocktail dress.

She rolled her eyes; she could be so difficult at times. "Where would I wear that?"

"I can think of several events including tonight." I tried to maintain a pleasant tone, without giving away that we were celebrating her birthday. It was a touchy subject, knowing that she would surpass Edward in human years. I didn't understand what he was waiting for really.

"Oh Rose." She pleaded. "Do I really have to go?"

I glared and she took the dress, grumbling as she made her way to the fitting booth.

She walked out, the dress whooshing slightly with her hip movements. It was gorgeous, and perfect. Long enough to show embellish her legs, and short enough to make them look longer. It was perfect at the waist, accenting it gracefully, and the color, it just brought out a spark in her eyes. She twirled in the three-fold mirror, making the edges spin, grinning like a kid.

"Well take it." I mouthed to the clerk that added it to the tab.

Veronica hated it when I just added things to the tab, but it wasn't like we'd run out of money, and what's money if you never spend it? Just wasted efforts and time, like my existence, or at least, it'd felt close to that before her. She was the sister I never got to meet and grow with; to fight and bicker with. In a sense, I would even push that, she was the daughter I never got to have, that I could never have.

**Veronica's POV**

They'd done it again, taken me shopping and spent I don't even want to know how much on me. I mean, sure, it's every girl's dream to be spoiled rotten, and be able to go on a limitless shopping spree, but it felt awkward. I was jeans and t-shirt girl, not runway model chic, but I did it, for them. I had to conform if I wanted to actually be like them. I needed to learn the role, before filling the shoes, so I let Rosalie and Alice play doll with me.

"Edward will be at the Lodge to meet you." Rosalie said speeding on the highway.

She was a rougher driver than Edward, and sometimes, the jerking made me slightly car sick, but I'd never tell her. It felt like the drive back from Seattle had been the time I took to get to La Push, but I knew that was only an illusion from conversation. Rosalie was great, it was nice to have someone that understood me, that had lived something similar to what I'd lived in Lafayette. She'd wanted to rip Jordan, and James for what they'd done, and almost done to me. Sometimes, I felt her anger was greater than Edward's, which scared me.

Her lips were cold and quick on my cheek, and I was standing in front of the Lodge, taking a deep breath before stepping in. No matter how much time passed, I still felt butterflies when I saw him. My cheeks flushed as he stared at me, his amber eyes smoldering me behind his copper hair. As lightly as I could, I walked towards him, trying to focus on sitting gracefully in the seat across him.

"Hey Veronica." Charlie said waving me to his lonely table.

I smiled sadly to Edward, and with the slightest head bow, I knew he understood. His gaze followed an invisible trail to the window, and I made my way towards the Sheriff.

"Have a seat." His eyes creased sadly, digging the wrinkles that had deepened since Bella's death.

"Heya Mr Swan." I smiled as kindly as I could. "How are you?"

"Now we've already been through this…" he started before begging me once more to call him Charlie.

"Sorry." I replied shyly. "How are you, Charlie?"

"I'm good." He motioned awkwardly. "Have a seat."

I obliged, twisting my hands discreetly under the table. I hadn't seen him in a while, though I knew he'd come to see me when I'd been passed out.

"Jacob misses you in La Push. Poor kid, he's been going through a rough time, hasn't been the same since the funeral." His head hung lowly, his eyes losing the littlest glimmer it had had when he'd seen me. "I'm sorry, I heard you two had a fight, Billy is well…"

"I know." I smiled sadly. Billy hated the Cullens, and I understood why, to an extent. "It's okay, I'll call him I guess." I bit my tongue, knowing Edward was eavesdropping, I hoped he knew I'd been partially lying. I wanted to call Jake, I just couldn't.

He mirrored my smile. "I'm going fishing down in La Push, I can take you down and bring you back before supper." He offered in a tone I couldn't turn down. I was horrible at saying no.

Edward's head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. He was raging underneath the mask of marble tranquility he wore.

"Sure." I was shaky, this wouldn't be good, but I'd get to Esme first.

**Esme's POV**

She came walking through the door resolute, striding towards me. Coming to a halt, mouth open about to speak, she froze, eyes widening. Her head went left and right, taking in Alice's hard work.

"Oh my god." She sounded, speechless.

Alice glided to us. "I knew it." Her smile was mischievous and graceful as always, a pleasure to see. "And you keep saying you don't like surprises." She chided playfully, causing her sister to scorn darkly a second and walk around the living room.

"It," she left the word hanging a moment. "Everything smells like roses." Her smile was laughing and by far the most sincere smile I'd seen since the James encounter. She had her hands clasped to her mouth.

"Hey birthday girl." Emmett grinned taking her into one of the bear hugs she liked best.

Edward went to her side. "Don't hog my girl." He grinned playfully, putting a protective arm around her shoulders. It was nice to see him so serene again. I was glad he was content again.

He looked at me and smiled again. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was happy he had.

"Wait until you see your presents." Alice squealed. "You're going to love them."

"Open this one first." Jasper said handing her a small box. "You won't want to kill me, I promise." He winked at her.

Then everything happened so fast, I don't think I could have stopped it. Jasper went for Veronica, when Edward and Emmett rammed into him with a deafening crack to her ears. I bet it sounded like thunder, or boulders crushing against each other to her. To keep her safe, Edward pushed her harder than he'd intended, I saw the despair in his eyes as she crashed against the glass table holding a vase of roses. She lay amongst them white splattered red of blood and roses.

My mouth salivated at the scent, but I held my breath, keeping my back to her, and keeping a stance in case I needed to defend my daughter. I'd never understood how Carlisle could keep control until today. Some things were more powerful than need, and though the others fought, they felt the desire for blood as well.

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**Hey guys,**

**I know this is short compared to usual, but I swear I'll write lengthier and better chapters!**

**I just wanted you guys to know I haven't forgotten you and will be posting more!**

**SO GO COMMENT! Please?  
**

**~Alice Grey  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**STITCHES**

**Veronica's POV**

I sat among the glass, blood, and roses. You'd think I'd be used to freak accidents and flying across rooms by now, but I wasn't. The tears stung in my eyes, but I wouldn't cry.

"Come." Carlisle offered me his arm, lowering himself to help me.

My brain felt away, but my eyes were towards his face tuning in and out of his eyes. I was on the brink of transforming, and it took a lot to stay here, in the present.

"It's okay." His voice was soft and euphonious. "You're fine, just come with me.

A different grasp held my arm. "It's okay." Edward offered, but I could tell he was holding his breath, I could hear his brain focus on something else.

So much for mind over matter I snickered darkly in my mind. _I heard that._ He replied in my mind.

My legs almost caved when I rose, but between Carlisle and Edward, I couldn't fall even if I tried. They walked at my pace towards the sterile white kitchen. A flash later, and Carlisle had a set of metallic tools and a few bowls out on the counter. I sat in one of the high chairs and sat on the corner, leaving a bit of table between us, my bleeding arm diving us.

"You don't have to stay Edward." I whispered dryly. "I'll be fine."

His nose was lightly twitching, and his eyes darkening before me, but still he stood stiffly in the door.

When he almost pounced at my gasping when Carlisle had removed one of the bigger pieces of glass I couldn't hold back tears. "Just go, Jasper needs you. You know how he gets…" I tried to laugh to stifle another pained gasp. "He'll only listen to you, go. Please?"

He nodded, more out of form than anything because he visibly disliked the idea, but he did as I asked.

For a while, it was only me, Carlisle and the clink of glass in a metal container. Clink. Clink. Clink. I really had a knack for getting hurt.

"How can you stand it?" I asked Carlisle. "How can you be so good?"

He tilted his head. "What is it you define as good in this particular statement?"

My face contorted slightly in pain, but talking helped, a bit. "I mean, it's natural for you to drink blood and you fight it. A cat won't become a vegetarian, and a lion even less. I just, okay I think chickens are cute, but I can't stop eating chicken, I mean, I physically need the proteins…"

He laughed whole-heartedly, and then became stern again. "You're comparing apples and oranges Veronica." His lips did this twitchy thing I noticed when he was broaching a touchy subject. "A cat doesn't have the concept that it's morally wrong to kill."

I gave a small cough. "Well…" I began shyly. "As part cat, I can tell you a cat understands pleasure and pain. It doesn't have much room in it's head, but enough for some emotions." I felt the cat pull when he pulled out another piece of glass, and then swabbing the wound with a browning liquid that stung like a mother…

"Does your cat form have a soul? As a cat do you truly feel like there's a part of you that can't go beyond a point?"

I hung my head lowly, my cat form was free, curious, and yet so limited. There was no higher force, just the moment.

"This may hurt a bit." He said stabbing me with a needle to numb my arm. He waited a moment before starting the sutures. "I became a doctor so I could save people with my abilities, when they wouldn't have been saved otherwise."

"I'm not surprised. I mean you have that superhero personality without the extravagance."

"I wasn't always like this." He offered. "I always thought that you had a choice to do what you willed with what you were given." His smile was sad as he looked at me, it was from the flash of me he'd thought of. The decision I'd taken, and had him execute. "I don't think I'm doing this to make up for anything, if that's what you're implying…"

I reddened under his gaze.

"My father was a clergyman with harsh views on the world. Even before my change, I questioned his ways, but I never questioned the existence of a higher power in my four hundred years of existence."

The needle waved in and out of my skin I felt it. I'd never believed in God, if he existed he was a cruel bastard people covered up for with free will. My jaw clenched.

"Edward is up to me to some point. He believes in God in heaven…" he paused a moment. "but he also believes in hell, and that he's bound for it."

I shook my head lightly as he cut the string, and covered the stitched wound. "I don't think he could ever go to hell. He's too much of a square." I added laughingly knowing he was in earshot.

Carlisle laughed. "Hopefully you can make him believe that."

I shook my head more. "If God exists than we're both going to hell."

His eyes widened shocked. "Why would you…"

I didn't need to hear the rest to know what he was asking. "If we follow his logic that biting me, and changing me gives him a straight ticket to hell, than my making him do it gives me the same one-way ticket."

"Do you think I'm going to hell?" he asked, a conniving grin on his face.

"No, you could never go to hell. If your God is as forgiving as you believe him to be, you could never go to hell. You're the best person I've met."

"But you believe that you will go to hell when I changed every vampire in this house?" he laughed in disbelief.

"I killed my own child." I told Carlisle tears stinging my eyes. "I've seen people excommunicated for that. I don't regret it, I don't think I could have even loved it." I was disgusted with myself, and yet I couldn't disagree with what I'd said. "And yes, you changed them, but Emmett was being mauled by a bear, Edward was dying, Esme was barely alive, Rosalie was pretty much dead, you never took away their lives, if not given them a new one. My motives are selfish, and I could have been changed when I almost died, but it was interrupted."

He looked down and licked his lip. "It wasn't my decision to make that day." He said softly.

"I know." I stood up and walked out of the kitchen, pausing at the door. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, I just…"

He smiled that fatherly smile, and next thing I knew, he was hugging me. "I love you Veronica, like a daughter, I'm sorry you had to go through what you did. I just want you to know everyone here loves you, no matter how broken you think you are."

"I think what hurts most, is that _he_'s mad."

"He's been scared of something like this happening, and I've been afraid of it too to be honest. That what we are, as good as it may be, would put you in danger at some point."

"That's not his fault."

"It's not yours either."

_Oh but it is._ I thought to myself, making sure to conceal it. _I had fallen in love with Esme, and Alice, and Rosalie, and Jasper, and Emmett, and Edward…They had been the image of a family I'd always wanted. I'd selfishly accepted to become theirs. Other kids were worst off than me._

I locked the door to my room and slid under the covers, hiding myself from myself. It was odd, but I wished I could just get away from me. I just wanted to cry and sulk, but I knew that if they didn't hear it, they'd smell or taste it. Every part of me wanted to become a cat again, but I doubted that would be good with my stitches. My wound heated and I clung to it, giving myself pain in order to avoid it.

There was a soft knock on my window, and I stared at it glossy eyed from beneath the sheets, dreading walking up to the ledge. Surely it was Edward, but I was scared of windows, not that I'd admit it. Taking a deep breath, I walked up and leaned on the side of the window to look down. There he stood, the moon glistening on his marble skin and copper hair, it made me lose my breath.

I opened the window and he walked in. Turning my back, I walked back to my bed and slid back under the covers. He kneeled by my side, but I turned my back to him, how could I face him after tonight? After everything I'd done, and everything that happened, and everything that I would do?

"shhhh." He hushed softly by my side, visibly having caught part of my thought, if not all of it. His fingers brushed my hair softly.

I wanted to speak but I couldn't, or maybe I wouldn't I wasn't sure.

"It's not your fault." He whispered to me. I could feel his cold breath on my neck.

I turned around heavily. "How can it not be? Who the hell cuts themselves on wrapping paper?"

"So you're accident prone, it doesn't make it your fault." He chided softly.

His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer to him, as if he were shielding me. We remained silent a moment, and I tried to control my heartbeat in his presence. Silently, I took his hand and set it on my wound, it was refreshing, and I was glad he obliged.

"What are you thinking about?" I prodded.

He set his chin on my head, and kissed the crown. "I'm thinking about right and wrong, actually."

My heart felt trapped and motionless in my chest for a moment. I felt a chill tingle along my spine.

"Remember how I asked I wanted nothing for my birthday?" My question was quick and half assed, and the glare he gave me saw right through me, but he obliged with a knowing grin.

"Yes?"

"I want you to kiss me again." I blurted dumbly, but his lips met my own before I could think about it too much.

"Is that okay?" he asked while I breathed.

I nodded quickly, pressing my lips. "Can I have another?" I tried to ask coyly.

"You're greedy tonight."

"Mhm." Sounded. "But don't do anything you don't want to." It was harsh and gratuitous, but I had to give him some nudge.

He laughed and then sighed. His hand rested under my chin. "Heaven forbid I do anything I don't want to do."

His face inched near my face, lips hovering, taunting me. They pressed against mine gently, and then harder parting my lips with urgency. His hand went to my hair, twisting my loose ponytail. My hands combed through his silky hair. He didn't stop me, though I'd crossed his cautious lines. My heart was beating so hard it wanted to come out of my chest, and pump itself through my ears. I pressed myself against him through the sheets, and he didn't stop me.

Gently, and abruptly, he pushed me away. I rolled on my side and panted.

"Sorry," he was breathless too. "I was out of line."

I turned on my side and inched closer. "It wasn't." Slowly, I set my hand on his chest. "In fact, I wouldn't mind doing that again." I grinned batting my lashes.

"You're overestimating my self-control Veronica." The last bit had a bite to it.

"For what?" I asked as coyly as I could muster. "My body or my blood?"

"It's a tie." His grin was brief in spite of himself, and then he was serious and brooding again. "Now try to sleep before you end up with more stitches or something."

I crushed my lips against his, and he responded. "Veronica." He panted between kisses, but I ignored him.

My heart was pounding in my ears, and he was gone.

Breathless, I lay in bed a while, staring at the window, hoping he'd come back, but I knew better. I rolled on my back and took a few deep breaths before falling asleep. I remembered what his kiss had reminded me of: the kiss he'd given me when he'd thought it'd been our last. The nightmares began…

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**Hey guys, here's chapter two: stitches**

**I hope you enjoy it!**

**Oh and LEAVE COMMENTS DAMMIT *shakesfist***

**-crickets-**

**please? anyone? really?**

**So um next chapter will be *drumroll* yup you guessed it, "The End", but oh noes how will it go, the Cullens can't leave!? XD**

**Alright, I'll stop typing now, and go work on The End!**

**xoxoxox Alice Grey  
**


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